Changeable message sign removable cassette

ABSTRACT

A changeable message advertising sign formed of a vertically arranged frame having a removable box-like cassette mounted within the bottom of the frame. A pair of elongated rollers around which the opposite ends of a long, scroll-like flexible sheet bearing messages are wound, are normally arranged side by side within the cassette for storage, handling and shipping the cassette, rollers and sheet as one unit separate from the remaining sign structure. When the cassette is mounted within the sign frame, one roller is removed from the cassette and mounted at the upper end of the sign frame to expose a portion of the sheet between the rollers. The rollers are rotated to wind the sheet from one to the other and vice-versa to thereby expose different portions of the sheet to view. The cassette, rollers and sheet unit may be removed from the sign frame and interchanged with other similar units.

nited States Patent Singer [451 Aug. 20, 1974 [76] Inventor: KarlSinger, 1717 Stephanson Hwy., Troy, Mich. 48084 [22] Filed: Feb. 12,1973 [21] Appl. No.: 331,927

[52] 11.5. CI. 40/86, 242/199 [51] Int. Cl G09f 11/24, G03b 1/02 [58]Field of Search 40/86 R, 8795, 40/31, 42; 242/199 [56] References CitedI UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,480 9/1929 Hale 40/86 R 2,996,820 8/1961Springer 40/31 3,684,211 8/1972 Takeichi et al. 242/199 3,702,72611/1972 Takeichi et al. 352/158 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS128,381 6/1919 Great Britain 40/86 R 1,191,272 4/1959 France 1,442,4465/1966 France 777,521 12/1934 France 40/86 R 459,287 9/1950 Italy 40/86R Primary ExaminerJ. H. Wolfe [5 7 ABSTRACT A changeable messageadvertising sign formed of a vertically arranged frame having aremovable box-like cassette mounted within the bottom of the frame. Apair of elongated rollers around which the opposite ends of a long,scroll-like flexible sheet bearing messages are wound, are normallyarranged side by side within the cassette for storage, handling andshipping the cassette, rollers and sheet as one unit separate from theremaining sign structure. When the cassette is mounted within the signframe. one roller is removed from the cassette and mounted at the upperend of the sign frame to expose a portion of the sheet between therollers. The rollers are rotated to wind the sheet from one to the otherand vice-versa to thereby expose different portions of the sheet toview. The cassette, rollers and sheet unit may be removed from the signframe and interchanged with other similar units.

1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDwseo Ian 3; 829; 997 sum 1 or 2'PA'TENTEBwszo m4 sum ear 2 CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN REMOVABLE CASSETTEBACKGROUND OF INVENTION The inventionherein relates to improvements in achangeable message sign of the type having messages imprinted upon along, scroll-like sheet which is wound between a pair of rollers forexposing portions of the sheet for viewing the various messagesimprinted thereon. In such type signs, a particular message bearingscroll may be used for some period of time and then replaced with a newone, bearing different messages. Thus, various problems arise inconnection with handling, storing, shipping and protecting the variousscrolls used'from time to time in a single sign and also in providingsimplified means for replacing one scroll for another.

By way of example, a sign of the character involved here may be on theorder of several feet in size vertically and horizontally and be of atype which is more or less permanently positioned in a place forviewing,

' such as in an airport, building lobby or the like, with replacementscrolls brought to the sign for replacement at the display site.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention herein contemplates the provision ofa box-like cassette within which a pair of elongated rollers arenormally mountedside by side, with an elongated scroll-like advertisingsheet having its opposite ends wound around the pair of rollers so thatthe cassette, rollers and scroll form a single unit for shipping,storing and handling, as well as protecting the scroll. The cassette maythen be removably mounted within the sign structure which is providedwith means for supporting one of the rollers, removed from the cassette,above the other which remains within the cassettefor thereby exposing aportion of the sheet between the rollers. Rotation of therollers in onedirection or the other successfully exposes various portions of thescroll to view. Thus, the cassette, roller and scroll form a unit whichmay be easily loaded within a sign structure and conversely, easilyremoved therefrom for replacement with a similar unit for therebychanging the advertising message bearing scroll.

One object of this invention is to provide a means for simply and easilyhandling and loading and unloading a message bearing sign scroll withina sign, particularly requiring very little manual labor or adjustment orservicing. In addition, the complete structure is relatively inexpensiveas is necessary where large numbers of such signs are contemplated.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following description, ofwhich the attacheddrawings form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective illustration of a signof the type contemplated herein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cover removed fromthe sign structure.

FIG. 3 is a front, elevational view of the sign structure, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 4-4 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 55 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the cassette being removed from theremaining sign structure.

FIG. 7 illustrates the cassette frame, per se.

FIG. 8 illustrates the cassette loaded with the rollers and scroll-likesheet for handling or shipping.

FIG. 9 illustrates the rollers being removed from the cassette frameduring the steps of mounting within the sign structure.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, partially in cross-section, ofone end of a roller, and

FIG. 11 is a similar view of the opposite end of the same roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION basic frame structure 11, such as a box-like shape,ar-

ranged on one side or in the vertical plane, with a horizontal topmember 12, a bottom member 13 and a pair of vertical side members 14 and15 all joined together to form a rigid structure.

An'inner side member 16 extends from top to bottom, spaced a shortdistance from the side member 15.

Suitable legs 15 may be fastened to the bottom member 13 for supportingthe structure. A box-like cover 18 is arranged to drop vertically downover and to cover the frame structure, with the box having a windowopening 19, which may be covered by a glass sheet 20 through which themessage on the sign may be viewed.

Removably mounted within the frame, such as by resting upon the bottommember is a box-like cassette 22 having end walls 23 and elongated sidewalls 24. Where desired, a bottom and removable top may also be providedfor the cassette although these are not shown in the drawing.

Arranged within the cassette are a pair or elongated rollers 25 and 26around which the opposite ends of an elongated, scroll-like flexible,cloth sign sheet 27 are wound. The sheet may be formed of a suitableplastic or natural cloth material and imprinted upon its surface aresuccessive frames of advertising messages so that advancement of thesheet exposes a variety of messages, on a frame by frame basis.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, each roller is formed of a hollow tube 28.One end of each tube is closed by a hollow plug 29 having a flange 30.Extending through the plug and the flange is a retractable pin 31, whichmay be moved in an axial direction relative to the tube. The pin has areduced free end 32.

Arranged within the plug is a coil spring 33 surrounding the pin andabutting an enlargement 34 formed on the pin near the flange, with theopposite end of the spring abutting the bottom end of the plug. A handgrip or cross-pin 35 is provided for manually moving the pin in an axialdirection.

The opposite ends of each of the two rollers, are provided with endplugs 36 having a fixed spindle 37 extending outwardly in an axialdirection. The free end of the spindle is formed with a smaller,flattened end portion 38.

The end walls of the cassette are provided with holes, formed as threesets of aligned pairs of holes 39, 40 and 41, with the holes 41 beinglarger than the other two sets, namely of a size to receive the enlargedportions of the spindle and pin while the first two pairs of holes 39and 40 are preferably of a size to receive only the smaller ends of thepins and spindles.

As illustrated in Flq6, when i t isde sir edt9 mount the advertising messTge sheet within the sign structure, the cover is removed. The cassetteis brought to the sign with the rollers arranged within the cassette asshown in the drawing. Roller is arranged with its pin and spindlerespectively, mounted within holes 39 and roller 26 is mounted with itspin and spindles arranged within the aligned pair of holes 40. That isthe normal shipping or handling position of the rollers within thecassette. The cassette is of a size to completely contain the rollersand the scroll whose ends are rolled around the rollers. FIG. 8illustrates this shipping or handling arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the cassette is arranged adjacent the signframe, the roller 25 is removed by retracting its spindle 31, that is,by manually grasping the cross pin and moving the spindle inwardlyagainst the spring pressure. Thus, the roller 25 is removed from thecassette, raised upwardly near the upper end of the sign frame where itspin 31 is engaged with a receptacle hole 42 formed in the vertical sidemember 14 of the frame 11.

The roller 26 is removed from the aligned holes and replaced into thealigned holes 41, where its pin 31 extends outwardly of the cassette andwall and engages into a hole 43 in the vertical member 14. The spindle37 of the roller 26, extending through the hole 4l.is thus positioned sothat its flattened, smaller end portion 38 engages into a suitableopening formed in a lower coupling 44 which comprises a conventionalclutchtype pulley mounted within the space between the two frame sidewalls 15 and 16.

Similarly, the spindle of the roller 25 engages into a similarcoupling-pulley 45 arranged near the upper end of the sign frame withinthe space between the two walls 15 and 16. The two pulleys are rotatablymounted upon either of the frame members 15 or 16, and areinterconnected by a belt 46 which also engages with a motor drivenpulley 47 coupled to a motor 48 mounted upon a rear cross-member 49which extends between the vertical members 14 and 16. The samecrossmember also carries a lamp 50 such as a fluorescent light forproviding illumination behind the advertising scroll.

A pair of guide bars or rods 51 span the space between the walls 14 and16 and the scroll contacts these bars for thus keeping the exposedportion of the scroll taut and flat for viewing.

When the motor is operated, the two clutch-type pulleys 44 and 45 aredriven by the belt 46 to rotate their respective rollers and thereuponcause the scroll to wind about one and unwind off the other.Conventional clutch-type pulleys, i.e. using an electrical couplingsystem within the clutch permit the two pulleys to rotate at differentspeed to compensate for the changing diameters of the scroll windingsaround the rollers. After the scroll has reached the point where it isalmost unwound from one of the rollers, the motor is reversed forrewinding the scroll in the opposite direction. In that manner,successive portions of the scroll are exposed for viewing theadvertising messages imprinted thereon.

Where it is desired to advance the scroll on an inter mittent basis,that is on a frame by frame or stop and go basis, suitable sensingdevices 52 may be mounted on the sign frame at the edges of the scrollfor sensing some pre-established marks or contacts and by means of asuitable timing circuit (not shown) the scroll may be advanced until thesensing device senses the signalling mark or the like and causes thetiming device to shut off the motor for a predetermined time, afterwhich the motor is again turned on to advance the scroll to the nextframe and ultimately to reverse the scroll to move in the oppositedirection when all of the frames have been exposed.

As can be seen, with the cassette construction here, the cassette, withthe pair of rollers and the scroll, can be carried to the sign, the signcover easily pulled upwardly and away from the sign structure and theeassette mounted within the sign frame with the respective rolls intheir upper and lower positions for movement by the pulleys. By means ofmoving the roller 26 from its original mounting holes 40 to the enlargedholes 41 through which the spindle and the pin extend, the pin 31 mayengage into the hole 43 on the vertical wall 14 of the sign frame tothereby lock the cassette in place within the sign frame.

When it is desired to change signs, the cover is again removed, theupper roller 25 is removed from the hole 42 and pulley 45 and placedback into the cassette, that is, supported within the cassette and wallholes 39. Likewise, the roller 26 is disengaged from the frame hole 43and the pulley 44 and moved into the support holes 40 in the end wallsof the cassette. In that position, the cassette may now be handled as aunit with its rollers and scroll and replaced with a similar cassettehaving a scroll with different advertising messages.

When the scroll is properly mounted within the sign frame as describedabove, with the cover 18 arranged over the frame, the viewer of the signsimply sees an advertising message frame through the window 19, with themessage either changing continuously or intermittently depending uponthe operation of the motor.

Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention, I nowclaim:

1. A changeable message sign comprising, in combination:

a vertically arranged sign frame formed of interconnected elongatedvertical side members, a bottom member and a top member, an upper holein each side member to receive and horizontally position an upper rollermeans therebetween beneath the top member, and a lower hole in each sidemember to receive and horizontally position a lower roller meanstherebetween above the base member, and a pair of coupling means, eachassociated with one of said holes in one vertical side member to receivea roller means therethrough to rotate the roller means;

an elongated horizontally arranged, open top cassette frame formed ofinterconnected end walls and opposed side walls;

said end walls of said cassette frame having a plurality of pairs ofopposed aligned apertures therein with one of said pairs of aperturesbeing larger than the other pairs of apertures; first and second rollermeans having a long scroll like sheet with one end of the sheet fastenedaround one roller means and the opposite end of the sheet fastenedaround the other roller means; each of said roller means being anelongated tube and having a spring loaded pin extending axiallyoutwardly thereof at a first end and having a fixed spindle extendingaxially outwardly at a second end thereof; and

both said roller means with the sheet therebetween being normallyreleasably mounted in said cassette frame, each roller means having afirst end and its second end respectively positioned in one of saidother pairs of apertures for shipment of said sheet and roller means incassette form;

whereby said cassette frame is insertable into said sign frame with saidfirst roller means being removed from said cassette frame and releasablyinwhereby a number of cassette frames, each with its first and secondrollers and interconnected sheet, may be interchangeably mounted withinthe sign frame with the first roller manually removed from the cassetteframe, raised about it, and releasably mounted at the upper portion ofthe sign frame for displaying messages and the like on said sheet andsubsequently returned into the cassette frame apertures for storage.

1. A changeable message sign comprising, in combination: a verticallyarranged sign frame formed of interconnected elongated vertical sidemembers, a bottom member and a top member, an upper hole in each sidemember to receive and horizontally position an upper roller meanstherebetween beneath the top member, and a lower hole in each sidemember to receive and horizontally position a lower roller meanstherebetween above the base member, and a pair of coupling means, eachassociated with one of said holes in one vertical side member to receivea roller means therethrough to rotate the roller means; an elongatedhorizontally arranged, open top cassette frame formed of interconnectedend walls and opposed side walls; said end walls of said cassette framehaving a plurality of pairs of opposed aligned apertures therein withone of said pairs of apertures being larger than the other pairs ofapertures; first and second roller means having a long scroll like sheetwith one end of the sheet fastened around one roller means and theopposite end of the sheet fastened around the other roller means; eachof said roller means being an elongated tube and having a spring loadedpin extending axially outwardly thereof at a first end and having afixed spindle extending axially outwardly at a second end thereof; andboth said roller means with the sheet therebetween being normallyreleasably mounted in said cassette frame, each roller means having afirst end and its second end respectively positioned in one of saidother pairs of apertures for shipment of said sheet and roller means incassette form; whereby said cassette frame is insertable into said signframe with said first roller means being removed from said cassetteframe and releasably inserted in the upper holes in the side members ofsaid sign frame and the second roller means removed from said cassetteframe and releasably inserted in said pair of larger apertures in saidcassette frame, with both ends of said second roller means eachextending through one of said larger apertures in said cassette frameand into the lower holes in said vertical side member of said sign frameand said second end of each roller means engaging one of said couplingmeans; and whereby a number of cassette frames, each with its first andsecond rollers and interconnected sheet, may be interchangeablY mountedwithin the sign frame with the first roller manually removed from thecassette frame, raised about it, and releasably mounted at the upperportion of the sign frame for displaying messages and the like on saidsheet and subsequently returned into the cassette frame apertures forstorage.